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Image: Gabriel Carasso

Image: Gabriel Carasso

Lucy Norris reports on the Off-White show

by Lucy Norris on 30 September 2017.

There was a Princess off-duty vibe on the runway. Some models walked wearing sneakers, whilst holding a spare pair of stilettos in their hands. Of course, these weren't any old shoes - but a Jimmy Choo x Off-White pair of shoes.

Never let anyone tell you Virgil Abloh doesn't provide a wardrobe for the working woman. An abundance of cool tailoring options here sees brands such as Off-White continue to redefine the blurry edges between office, street and party. This season, the designer took inspiration from an unexpected working woman, Princess Diana, 'The People's Princess.' Patron of over 100 charities worldwide, we all remember the media footage of Diana walking through the landmine ridden wasteland of Angola, and the pictures of her sitting and chatting on beds with AIDS patients in hospitals. With this August having been the twenty year anniversary of her death, Abloh wanted to express her heart too and entitled the collection 'Natural Woman.'

There was a Princess off-duty vibe on the runway. Some models walked wearing sneakers, whilst holding a spare pair of stilettos in their hands. Of course, these weren't any old shoes - but a Jimmy Choo x Off-White pair of shoes. The ultimate princess shoe label has collaborated with one of the coolest street style fashion labels, and what do you know? Cinderella's rags to riches story gets a 21st century remix. The historical periods evoked within the collection were less Diana in her nineties heyday and more so the period when she was playing the role of the future heir to the throne. Eveningwear dresses with floor length cascades of floral printed tulle and ruffles were the epitome of a pastiche fairytale. With an asymmetric neckline, they also had a seventies vibe. Bustier dresses with wired hems, worn with cropped white t-shirts, spanned the entire width of the runway. Whilst strings of pearls and suspect permed style mullets added an all knowing bad taste quality to eighties style pink satin dresses.

One nineties icon who was present was Naomi Campbell. Crowned the queen of the runway a long time ago, her fishtail pelmet jacket, tailored cycling shorts, and glass slipper style stilettos - all in white - was a one look summary of Virgil Abloh's attempt to mix tailoring, sports, irony and tribute. Not on the runway, Virgil Abloh has designed a Red Cross approved t-shirt, in honour of Princess Diana. Like with his fantastic recent collaboration with the charity initiative FAMILY and The Warchild Charity, it would be great if this T-Shirt goes on sale, so to help raise funds for the humanitarian causes Diana supported.